Carlos Yazzie
Carlos Yazzie, 44, was a day laborer whose brother Chris Yazzie said his death should have been prevented. He was taken into the Shiprock District Department of Corrections on the Navajo Nation intoxicated and with a swollen foot, and staff placed him in an isolation cell. According to the account summarized here, the required checks were not carried out and he was not taken to a hospital, and a guard found him dead the next morning on January 12, 2017. The autopsy listed acute alcohol poisoning as the cause, which experts said is easily treatable with medical care. Chris Yazzie said the officers were not prepared for the responsibility.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (neglect alleged). The autopsy found acute alcohol poisoning, which experts said was easily treatable, and reports say staff skipped required checks on his isolation cell and did not take him to a hospital.
Reported by: autopsy report.